Do Indoor Cats Need Distemper Shots – These are just some of the questions we are regularly asked about vaccinations. Keeping track of the different pet vaccines and associated vaccination schedules can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. Coupled with the often heated and sometimes emotional national debates about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, you may be wondering if it’s even worth vaccinating your pet. Well, we’re here to tell you it is! We want to clear up any confusion and give you the lowdown on vaccinations and why they are an essential part of your pet’s preventative health care and helping your furry companion live a long and healthy life!

Vaccines offer the greatest protection against certain infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria. We offer vaccinations against common canine and feline diseases that affect the immune, gastrointestinal, and respiratory systems.

Do Indoor Cats Need Distemper Shots

Vaccines are made from chemically modified forms of the virus or bacteria that do not cause disease but instead stimulate the body’s immune system to produce antibodies against the disease. Antibodies work by destroying the disease-causing virus or bacterium when it tries to infect the body, and then “remembering” it to fight the disease in the future. The protection offered by vaccines gradually decreases over time and is specific to each vaccine. Because of this, boosters are required. Many vaccinations have an annual booster schedule, but some require a booster shot every six months (e.g. kennel cough) and others may require a booster shot every two to three years.

Floral Park Ny Area Animal Hospital In West Long Island: Pet Vaccinations

Of course, not all pets require all vaccinations. The vaccinations your pet needs will depend on their age, health, lifestyle and diseases found in our area. At Leesburg Veterinary Hospital, we customize vaccination schedules for each individual pet, so we don’t “over-vaccinate” but provide the best overall protection for that pet based on their lifestyle and risk factors.

Vaccines offer the greatest protection against certain infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria. We believe that good communication between you and your LVH vet is key to ensuring your pet gets the right vaccination schedule. Image: Ellen Zangla Photography

Rabies is an extremely serious (usually fatal) virus that infects the brain and spinal cord of all mammals (including humans!). Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of mammals, most commonly wild animals such as foxes, bats, raccoons, skunks, cattle, wild dogs, and wild cats. Your pets would most likely contract rabies if bitten by a wild animal infected with the virus.

Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission of the disease in animals. Vaccination of animals is the best protection to prevent the spread of rabies to humans.

Cat Vaccinations: Essential Shots & What To Expect

Because of the serious health risks to pets and humans, rabies vaccination is required by law in most areas of the country, including Virginia. Virginia law states that all domesticated dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian by four months of age (for this reason, our LVTs cannot provide rabies vaccinations at tech appointments). All dogs living in Loudoun County must be licensed by the county. This license runs in parallel with each pet’s rabies vaccination schedule. Therefore, if a dog does not receive a rabies booster shot, it will not be legally licensed in the county. While cats do not need a license, their rabies vaccine should always be up to date. That includes indoor cats too! There have been cases of rabid bats getting into people’s homes, or indoor cats accidentally getting outside and possibly exposing themselves to rabid animals.

In the context of older pets, there are very few instances where we would not keep an older pet up to date on their rabies vaccination. We still recommend cats with kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, many types of cancer, diabetes, etc. to keep their rabies vaccination status up to date. Of course, every pet’s medical history and health is different. Our vets will determine the best option for your pet.

DHPP is a combination vaccine. When not named by the above acronym, it is commonly referred to just as canine distemper. The vaccine also protects against hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. Along with rabies, DHPP is considered a “core” vaccine by the American Animal Hospital Association. Core vaccinations are recommended for all pets because they protect against serious, highly contagious, and often fatal diseases.

A life-threatening virus that attacks the respiratory, digestive, and brain/nervous systems of dogs. Distemper is highly contagious and is transmitted from dog to dog through respiratory secretions from coughing, sneezing and eye discharge. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, pneumonia, and seizures.

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Caused by canine adenovirus-2 and adenovirus-1 and is transmitted in dogs through contact with secretions such as saliva, urine or feces. Hepatitis causes liver failure, eye damage, and breathing problems. The symptoms are similar to those in the early stages of distemper.

A highly contagious and life-threatening virus that attacks the digestive and immune systems and is spread through infected feces. The disease is more common in puppies. Symptoms include severe vomiting and diarrhea. Treatment usually requires a hospital stay of several days.

A highly contagious viral respiratory infection that contributes to “kennel cough” in dogs. We’ll go into more detail on kennel cough when we discuss the other virus that causes it, Bordetella.

Puppies are given a series of three DHPP vaccines at five months of age. Healthy puppies nursed by a healthy mother receive antibodies in their mother’s milk that protect the pup and help build immunity until the first round of vaccinations at 8-10 weeks of age:

Distemper In Cats

Up to the age of 6 months, the puppies have to visit the vet several times. At these health screenings, puppies will receive their first vaccinations or a booster vaccination if needed. These visits are a good time to discuss any questions or concerns with your vet as you adjust to life with a new puppy! Image: Ellen Zangla Photography

Leptospirosis is a contagious bacterial disease transmitted by wild animals such as deer, raccoons, mice and cows. Transmission occurs through an infected animal’s bodily fluids (particularly urine) or by drinking contaminated water from lakes, streams, etc., and is absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes.

Pets exposed to potentially contaminated water such as streams or ponds, walking trails, or swimming in our local rivers and lakes are at risk for leptospirosis. We recommend vaccination against leptospirosis to all of our canine patients who meet these criteria.

Leptospirosis is available as part of the distemper combination vaccine (DHLPP). Puppies receive the leptospirosis vaccine as a second series booster during the DHPP vaccination between 12 and 16 weeks of age as described above and once a year thereafter. Since distemper vaccination is only given every three years after the first year, leptospirosis vaccination is given individually during the years when distemper is not required.

Pet Vaccines: What You Need To Know

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by tick bites, most commonly the deer tick. Lyme disease can be transmitted to both dogs and humans through tick bites. It is not transmitted directly from animal to animal or dog to human.

Lyme disease is a debilitating condition that causes joint pain and arthritis, decreased appetite, fever, lethargy, and, less commonly, kidney or heart failure

Lyme disease is extremely common in Loudoun County. Although we have one of the highest rates of Lyme disease infection in the country, it can be prevented with a combination of regular tick checks by you, vaccination, annual blood tests and year-round prevention like Frontline. We strongly encourage all of our canine patients to be vaccinated against Lyme disease. Keep in mind that deer often roam neighborhoods and farms, so even dogs that spend most of their time indoors can catch Lyme disease from going to the toilet.

Leesburg Veterinary Hospital strives to use the best medicine. A more protective Lyme vaccine (Zoetis’ Lyme vaccine) is now available to the veterinary profession and we have decided to add this vaccine to our preventive medicine repertoire. In order to get the full protective effect of this yearly vaccination, a primary vaccination is recommended, followed by a booster vaccination in 3-4 weeks. For pets that have already been vaccinated with our previous Lyme disease vaccine, our doctors recommend an initial vaccination and then a booster vaccination with the new vaccine.

What Vaccines Do Indoor Cats Need? • Lemonade Insurance

An infection of the trachea (trachea) and large airways of the lungs. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica and the virus parainfluenza. Kennel cough is highly contagious and deserves its name because it is easily transmitted through direct contact or airborne and spreads quickly where dogs are kept together, such as kennels, dog exercise areas, pet shops, and care facilities.

Vaccination is the best preventive measure against kennel cough. We recommend vaccination against kennel cough for all dogs with the potential of coming into contact with infected dogs in public places.

The FVRCP is the core vaccine for cats. It is a combination vaccine that protects against three serious airborne viruses – viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia. It is commonly referred to as a feline distemper vaccine.

An upper respiratory tract infection caused by the common feline herpes virus. Symptoms include sneezing, drooling, runny nose and eyes, lethargy, and decreased appetite.

What Vaccines Do Cats Need And Why They’re Important

An upper respiratory tract infection with

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